


Piano

by The_Exile



Category: Phantasy Star II
Genre: Character Study, M/M, ass-groping, social stigma around disability
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 14:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12134328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Exile/pseuds/The_Exile
Summary: In which Rudo does not want to play the piano.Written for FFFC day 18.





	Piano

Rudo had politely declined the invitation to learn to play the piano.

The famous musician Ustvestia had said his musical training required 'heart and soul'. Rudo was fairly sure he knew what that meant. There had been scientific reports that creativity and technique usage involved the same parts of the brain. Some experiments even showed that they were linked, that the most talented musicians unconsciously enhanced their performances with technique energy. Something like a very low intensity Ner technique, it was too subtle to be recognised as a true technique but noticeable enough to lend an unearthly air to the performance, to invoke emotions on a level that made a significant impact on the audience. Occasionally it worked the other way round too, when a technique master found it more effective to use a song, dance-like movement or musical instrument as a focus. A legend of a magic flute that could teleport the musician in the same way as a Ryuka technique - the inspiration behind the popular line of ocarinas with Ryuka and Hinas techniques stored inside them - was probably related to this phenomenon.

It wasn't common knowledge but it was the sort of thing you picked up when you were dystechnic - the correct medical term for technique-blindness or the complete inability to focus your mental energy into even basic techniques. It was associated with stupidity and Rudo's vast size, strength and obsession with big guns - training he had deliberately perfected to make himself more useful in defending his town from monsters - did not help him avoid the stereotype. In reality, it took a lot of detailed technical knowledge to maintain all his guns and plan his physical training, not to mention the information he had picked up on the specifics of hunting various monsters he had been paid to exterminate in his long career.

He preferred being mistakenly thought of as stupid - it came in useful when it made his enemies underestimate him - to the other, more dangerous rumour, that he didn't have a soul, or if he did, it was weak or faulty or tainted with some kind of curse. Those kind of rumours could get you into big trouble if an entire town decided to believe them and didn't want you in their town any more. That was why he tried to hide his condition, although any career technique user rather than just someone who used a few household practical techniques could smell it on him straight away. At least such specialists tended to be among the more enlightened in society. While the other way round wasn't true, you had to be pretty smart to be an adept technique user.

Besides, if Ustvestia tried to grope his ass again, Rudo would be wanted for murder, which would not help with the social stigma surrounding him at all.


End file.
